Infertility Series Part 3: Correcting Breech Presentation
Infertility specialists had long noted what seemed to be a higher incidence of breech babies in ART pregnancies, and wondered if the fertility treatment was responsible. An important study recently concluded that, yes, women who had become pregnant with the help of ART did indeed experience a higher rate of breech presentation—and the increased rate is significant, about 50%. But the study also concluded that this higher rate wasn’t due to the fertility treatment itself. Rather, the increased chance for a breech position can be explained by other factors, such as the age of the mother and the number of times she has been pregnant before. Statistically, women seeking fertility assistance tend to become pregnant for the first time at a more advanced age than average; first pregnancies have a higher incidence of breech presentation, as do pregnancies with a shorter gestational period, which is common in older women. (1)
Breech presentation is therefore a primary reason for the continued high rate of caesarean deliveries in women who have become pregnant through the help of treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). Whether you have had fertility treatment or achieved pregnancy without assistance, if your baby is in the breech position, TCM can help. There have been numerous research articles published in the last decade demonstrating the efficacy of two TCM techniques in turning the fetus from a breech position: acupuncture and moxibustion. While many people are familiar with acupuncture, “moxa” is a less familiar, but very effective, TCM technique. (In fact, the Chinese term for acupuncture, zhenjiu, literally translates to “acupuncture and moxibustion.”) Moxa consists of using burning herbs to target particular acupuncture points. Because the area can be warmed indirectly, it is a very safe procedure, even for pregnant women. This technique has been used to correct breech presentation in Chinese medicine for hundreds of years, and its use is becoming more prevalent in Western countries. One recent scholarly overview, for instance, concluded that moxa had been 20% more effective in randomized trials than “postural” correctives. (2)
Recently at the ACB, Guangli Xu was proud to assist in a very late-stage correction of breech presentation. 36 weeks is typically considered the end of the range in which breech babies can still be turned. An area gynecologist contacted Guangli about a patient in her 38th week. The patient’s midwife suggested trying to turn the fetus by hand in the 39th week, and scheduling a caesarian section for the 40 week if the attempt failed. When the patient learned of the chance for TCM to help, she decided to try that first. Despite the statistically low chance of such a correction at 38 weeks, after one week of Guangli’s treatment of acupuncture and moxibustion, the baby turned—and the woman was able to cancel her Caesarean surgery, and deliver the baby naturally. If you would like to know more about how TCM can assist in all aspects of pregnancy, from conception through delivery, Guangli would be happy to discuss your needs at the Acupuncture Clinic of Brookline. Feel free to contact him at 617.731.0504 or acupunclinic@yahoo.com, or to visit www.acupunctureclinicforwomen.com.